MLB Playoff Picture 2024: Breaking Down Standings and Current Postseason Bracket

As the end of August nears in the coming week, so does the end of the regular season.

There are about five weeks and around 30 games for each team remaining, and the playoff picture is starting to take shape.

The last week of action saw the Los Angeles Dodgers claim the best record in baseball thanks to a five-game win streak, but the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies are still within striking distance of claiming the top spot in the National League.

In the American League, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles have swapped places for the top spot, with the Yankees leading after this week. The Cleveland Guardians are also just out of reach of both New York and Baltimore and could sneak into the top spot before the end of the season.

After Sunday's action, here's a look at the updated playoff picture.

Current MLB Playoff Picture

American League

No. 1 New York Yankees (77-54), first-round bye

No. 2 Cleveland Guardians (75-55), first-round bye

No. 3 Houston Astros (70-60) vs. No. 6 Minnesota Twins (72-58)

No. 4 Baltimore Orioles (76-56) vs No. 5 Kansas City Royals (72-58)

National League

No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers (78-53), first-round bye

No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies (76-54), first-round bye

No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers (75-54) vs. No. 6 Atlanta Braves (70-60)

No. 4 Arizona Diamondbacks (75-56) vs. No. 5 San Diego Padres (74-58)

Full MLB Standings

AL East

1. New York Yankees (77-54)
2. Baltimore Orioles (76-56)
3. Boston Red Sox (67-62)
4. Tampa Bay Rays (65-65)
5. Toronto Blue Jays (63-68)

AL Central

1. Cleveland Guardians (75-55)
2. Kansas City Royals (72-58)
3. Minnesota Twins (72-58)
4. Detroit Tigers (65-66)
5. Chicago White Sox (31-100)

AL West

1. Houston Astros (70-60)
2. Seattle Mariners (66-65)
3. Texas Rangers (60-71)
4. Oakland Athletics (56-75)
5. Los Angeles Angels (54-77)

NL East

1. Philadelphia Phillies (69-60)
2. Atlanta Braves (70-60)
3. New York Mets (68-63)
4. Washington Nationals (59-72)
5. Miami Marlins (47-83)

NL Central

1. Milwaukee Brewers (75-55)
2. St. Louis Cardinals (65-65)
3. Chicago Cubs (65-66)
4. Cincinnati Reds (63-68)
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (62-68)

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (78-53)
2. Arizona Diamondbacks (75-56)
3. San Diego Padres (74-58)
4. San Francisco Giants (66-66)
5. Colorado Rockies (48-83)

The AL East title is still up for grabs, but will more than likely go to the Yankees or Orioles barring a catastrophic collapse from either squad. New York and Baltimore will play a three-game series the last week of the season, which could help decide that race.

The AL Central title race is heating up in the final weeks of the season, with the Guardians, Royals and Twins all having a realistic chance of winning it. Cleveland holds the top spot at the moment but both Kansas City and Minnesota are just three games back.

In terms of the wild-card race, several teams could still make a push for the final spot, but the Red Sox, Rays and Mariners have the best chances of doing so as they're all within seven games.

The National League wild-card race is a bit more open at this point, with six teams within eight games. The Mets are just two games back from the Braves and will face them in late September. If the playoff race looks similar then to how it does now, that should be an interesting series.

Both the Diamondbacks and Padres are within striking distance of the Dodgers for the top spot in the NL West, but Los Angeles has been playing some of its best baseball after a mid-season skid and seems capable of holding its current position.

Nobody is more comfortable than the Brewers, who have a 10-game lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central. Unless something drastically changes, Milwaukee should comfortably win its division.